Refrigerating system



Jan. 19, 1932.I

C. E. L. VLIPMAN REFRIGERATING- SYSTEM Filed Oct. 7. 1927 agg-2 f Patented Jan. 19, l1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL E. L. LIPMAN, OF BmlOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T LIPMAN PATENTS CORPORA- TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE EEFRTGERATING SYSTEM f lApplication led October 7, 1927. Serial No. 224,573.

This invention relates to household refrigerating apparatus of the type wherein there is provided a refrigerator cabinet and a removable refrigerating unit for the cabinet. Such a unit is practically a complete refrigerating apparatus in itself and is capable of being completely assembled at the factory. Should it fail to work, or require servicing,

' it may be conveniently removed and replaced by another unit. Meanwhile, the faulty unit may be repaired either at the factory or a central depot by experts.

It is highly desirable that a refrigerating apparatus of the above type be as compact as possible, not only in order that it may occupy a minimum amount of space in the rey frigerator, but for^ convenience in shipping it back to the factory or the central depot for servicing.

It is also highly desirable-in an apparatus of the above character that the construction of the cabinet and unit be as simple as possible and at the same time provide an eiiicient seal for insulating the high pressure side of the unit from the expansion element thereof and the storage chamber of the cabinet. It is therefore .another object of this invention to provide a simple construction whereby the removable unit is adapted to cooperate with the cabinet when in operative position to effectively seal the storage chamber and expansion element from the high pres-V sure side of the unit.

- Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent as the same becomes better understood from .an 'examination of the specification and claims in connection with theJ accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a fragmentary front elevation of A a refrigerator cabinet embodying this invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken at the lin, 2-2 of Fig. 1, with parts in elevation, an

Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 2, showing a modification. f

Referring to the drawings more particularly, reference". numeral. 4 represents a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber 5 and a horizontal shelf 6 forming opening 9 being below the same and in com? munication with the storage chamber 9. Hinged doors 11 and 12 are provided for closing the openings 8 and 9 respectively.

A removable refrigerating unit, indicated generally by the numeral 13, is supported within the cabinet on the shelf 6, and is adapted to be removed through the opening 8 when the door 11 is open.

The unit 13 includes a box-like casing 14 for containing the parts of the apparatus in the high pressure side and adapted to rest on the shelf 6. The casing 14 is open at its inner end and is adapted to register with an opening 15 in the rear of the cabinet when the unit is in operative position, for permitting air to circulate into the casing. The inner or o en end of the casing is provided with suitab e packing 10 which is adapted to be compressed against the wall of the cabinet around the chambers, as shown, if desired. It follows Nlv that whenever door 11 is closed the casing 14 Y willV be sealed against the rearwall of the cabinet.

The casing 14 is provided with a lining of insulation material.

The parts Within the casing 14 are the condenser 16 situated apposite the opening 15, the fan 17 and motor therefor, disposed inwardly of the condenser, and the motor compressor 18. The opening 15 is divided by a horizontal member 19 into two parts, the lower part being the inl-et and the upper part, the outlet. A horizontal partition 21 Xed in the casing 14 and adapted to align itself -With the member 19 when the unit is in op-V junit is in operative position.

erative position, extends most of the way into said casing above the condenser and compressor and defines a path for the circulation of the air whereby the air may circulate inwardly through the lower portion of the opening, over said condenser and compressor and upwardly, over said partition and out of the upper portion of said opening.

An expansion element 22 is carried by the inner longitudinal side wall of the casing la in horizontally spaced relation with said casing. The element 22 is in communication with chamber 5 when the unit is in operative position, the shelf 6 extending only to the center of the cabinet, and being only of the same width as the casing la. The element 22 is formed to accommodate ice trays 23, whereby it may make ice as well as cool the chamber 5. A ba-e 2K1-, having a vertical portion and a lateral sloping portion, is fixedly positioned in the cabinet whereby it may cooperate with the element 22 when the unit is in operative position to cause the cold air to circulate downwardly to the left, viewing Fig. 1 and the warm air to rise upwardly to the right.

As shown in Fig. 3, the casing 25 for the parts of the high pressure side may be open at both the front and rear end. lin such a case, it is advisable to have the door-26 corresponding to the door 11 in the previous embodiment act to seal the front edges of the casing as well as press th-e casing rearwardly against the rear wall of the cabinet, the rear wall of the cabinet acting to seal the rear edges of said casingasin the previous embodiment. Suitable packing 30 is provided at the ends of the casing to render the seal more edective. In this modification, an opening 27 is provided in the rear of the cabinet as before and in addition a second lopening 28 is provided in the door 26 and is adapted to register with the front end of the casing 25 when the door is closed.

Louvres 29 or screens are provided in the respective openings 27, 29 to shield the same.

It will be apparent that the aforedescribed unit is very compact due largely to the horizontally spaced relation between the high side and the expansion element and that the cabinet and unit, although simple of construction, coopeate to provide an elicient seal for insulating said high side from said element and the storage chamber when the The doors 11 and 12 may be incorporated in one large door.

I am aware that many changes may be made without departing from the principles of this invention and therefore do not wish toV be` limited to the details shown or described.

I claim: 1. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber, of

a removable refrigerating unit including a high pressure side, a casing for said high pressure side open at one end, and an eXpansion element carried by said unit exteriorly of said casing in communication with said chamber, said cabinet being provided with an opening adaptedto register with the open end of said casing, the interior of said cabinet being adapted to form a seal with the edges of said casing at the open end thereof when the unit is in operative position for insulating the high pressure side from said element.

2. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber, of a removable refrigerating unit including a high pressure side, a casing for said high pressure side open `at its opposite ends, and an expansion element carried by said unit exteriorly of said casing in communication with said chamber, said cabinet being provided with a pair of openings on opposite lsides thereof, one of the openingsebeing arranged to register with one of the open ends of the casing, the interior of the cabinet around said one opening being formed to seal with the edges of the'casing at said open end thereof when the unit is in operative position, the other opening in the cabinet permitting removal of the unit therethrough, and a door for the other opening formed to sealy with the edges of said casing at the other open end thereof.

3. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber, of a removable refrigerating unit including a high pressure side, a casing for said high pressure side open at one end and an expansion element carried by said unit exteriorly of said casing and in communication with said chamber, said cabinet being provided with a pair of openings on opposite sides thereof, one of said openings being arranged to register with the open end of said casing, the interior of said cabinet also being formed to seal with the edges of said casing at the open end thereof when the unit is in operative position for insulating the high pressure side from said ele ment, the other opening in the cabinet permitting removal of the unit, and a door for the latter op 'ng.

4. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber, of a removable refrigerating unit including a high pressure side, a casing for said high pressure side open at its opposite ends, and an expansion -element carried by said unit exteriorly of said casing and in communication with said chamber, said cabinet being pro-f vided with a pair of openings on opposite sides thereof, one of the openings being arranged to register with one of the open ends of the casing, the interior of the cabinet being formed around said one opening to seal with the edges of the casing at said open end there of when the unit is-in operative position, the other opening permitting removal of the unit Sil therethrough, and a door for the other lopening formed to seal with the edges of said casing at the other open end thereof, said doorV having an opening adapted to cooperate with the first opening in the cabinet to permit circulation of air through the casing.

5. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber, of a removable refrigerating unit including a high pressure side, an insulating casing substantially surrounding said high pressure side open at one end, an expansion element carried by said unit exteriorly of said casing in communication with said chamber, said cabinet provided with an opening adapted to register With the open end of said casing, the interior of said cabinet being adapted to form a seal with the edges of said casing at the open end thereof when the unit is in operative position for insulating the high pressure side from said element, and a baiiie fixedly positioned in the cabinet and adapted to cooperate With said element when the unit is in operative position for directing the circulation of air in said chamber.

6. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber, of a removable refrigerating unit including a high pressure side, an insulating casing substantially surrounding said high pressure side open at'one end and an expansion element carried by said unit exteriorly of said casing and in communication with said chamber, said cabinet being provided with a pair of openings on opposite sides thereof, one of said openings being arranged to register with the open end of said casing, the interior of said cabinet also being formed to seal with the edges of said casing at the open end there of when the unit is in operative position for insulating the high pressure side from said element, the other opening in the cabinet permitting removal of the unit, and a door for the latter opening, said door contacting with said casing to force the opposite end thereof against the rear wall of said cabinet.

In witness of the foregoing I aiix my signature.

CARL E. L. LIPMAN. 

